Chess has been played in Armenia since the early Middle Ages; however, it was institutionalized during the early Soviet period. [2] Highly popular in Armenia today, [3] [4] [5] chess gained widespread recognition during the 1960s, when Soviet Armenian grandmaster Tigran Petrosian became the World Chess Champion. [2] [6] A country of about three million people, Armenia is considered one of the strongest chess nations today, [7] [8] and a chess superpower. [9] [10] Among countries, Armenia has one of the most chess grandmasters per capita. [11]
Since the country's independence, the Armenian men's chess team has won the European Team Championship (1999), the World Team Championship (2011) and the Chess Olympiad (2006, 2008, 2012). The women's team had its crowning victory at the 2003 European Championship. As of August 2021, Armenia ranks seventh in the world by the average rating of its top players. [12] Levon Aronian, formerly Armenia's best chess player, has placed as high as world No. 2 in the FIDE rankings, and has been a World Champion candidate on six occasions.
Since the 2011–12 school year, chess lessons have been made part of the curriculum in every public school in Armenia, making it the first country in the world to make chess mandatory in schools. [13] [14]
Until the early 20th century, chess was known in Armenian as čatrak (ճատրակ), from Middle Persian chatrang . [15] [16] Another name was ճատրկուց, čatrkuts. [16] Today, that term—pronounced jadrag [17] —is only used in Western Armenian, which is spoken in the Armenian diaspora. [18] In modern Eastern Armenian, the variation used in Armenia, chess is known as šaxmatշախմատ ( [ʃɑχmɑt] ). It is derived from Russian šáxmaty (шахматы), itself a derivative from Persian šâh mât (شاه مات), literally meaning "the king is at a loss" or "the king is helpless." [19] The latter Persian phrase is also the etymology of the English checkmate . [20]
In their 1936 book on the history of chess, historians Joseph Orbeli and Kamilla Trever suggest that chess was known in Armenia since at least the 9th century during the Arab rule. According to them, the game was brought to Armenia by the Arabs from India, [21] where the game is believed to have been originated in the sixth century as Chaturanga. [22] In 1967 chess pieces were excavated by archaeologists in the citadel of Dvin, the medieval Armenian capital. [23] Chess is mentioned in manuscripts from the 12th–13th centuries, kept in the Matenadaran in Yerevan, including by Vardan Areveltsi and Mkhitar Anetsi. [24] [16] Until the mid-20th century villagers in Shenavan, in the Aparan area, used homemade chess figures similar to medieval ones. [21] [25]
Chess in Armenia was institutionalized after the establishment of Soviet rule in 1920. [27] In 1926-27, chemist Simon Hovyan (1869-1942) spearheaded an initiative to introduce sections dedicated to chess in numerous Armenian newspapers. He played a crucial role in the widespread popularization of the game by providing lectures on the rules and strategy of chess, as well as translating books by Emanuel Lasker, Ilya Maizelis (ru), and Yakov Rokhlin (ru) into Armenian. [27]
The first chess competitions were held in 1927, when the Armenian Chess Federation was founded. [28] Until 1934 chess players from Armenia competed in the Transcaucasian championship. In 1934 the first Armenian Chess Championship was held in Yerevan. [16] Genrikh Kasparyan became its winner. In later years Kasparyan won the championship nine times and became the most-titled Armenian chess player with ten national championship wins. The women's championship was also held the same year, Sirush Makints and Margarita Mirza-Avagian shared the champion title. [29] [16] The first Armenian chess club was founded in Yerevan in 1936. [16] Chess clubs were also founded in Leninakan (now Gyumri) and Kirovakan (now Vanadzor) in the 1950s. [27] By the early 1980s all towns and districts (rayons) of Soviet Armenia had chess clubs. [16]
Chess became particularly popular with the unprecedented success of Tigran Petrosian in the 1960s. Born in Tiflis, the current capital of Armenia's neighbor Georgia, he started his ascent in Armenia with a 1946 victory at the national championship. He then won the Soviet champion title four times (1959, 1961, 1969, 1975). In 1963 Petrosian became the World Chess Champion, defeating Mikhail Botvinnik, another Soviet representative. Petrosian's victory not only popularized the game of chess, but also "led to an outpouring of patriotic fervour" in the smallest Soviet republic. "From that moment on, chess became a national obsession." [30] Many couples named their sons Tigran, after Petrosian. [30] Besides being World Champion for six years (1963 to 1969), Petrosian won the Chess Olympiad nine times with the Soviet team (1958 to 1974). [31]
The USSR Chess Championship was held in Yerevan twice, in 1962 and 1975. [32]
In 1962, there were 30,000 chess players in Soviet Armenia, as well as 3,000 instructors and judges. By 1986 the number of chess players had increased to 50,000, including three grandmasters: Rafael Vaganian, Smbat Lputian, and Arshak Petrosian. [27] In the late Soviet period, Rafael Vaganian (1989) [33] and Artashes Minasian (1991) [34] became Soviet Champions. Vaganian also won the Olympiad with the Soviet team twice in 1984 and 1986. [35]
Armenia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since then, Armenian chess players have had the opportunity to represent the Republic of Armenia. Three major chess tournaments have taken place in independent Armenia: the 32nd Chess Olympiad was held at the Sports & Music Complex in Yerevan in 1996; [36] the 2001 World Team Chess Championship and the 2014 European Individual Chess Championship were held at the Yerevan Opera Theater. [37] [38]
Armenia earned its first medal at the 1992 Chess Olympiad, finishing third. [39] Armenia won bronze medals at the 2002 and 2004 Olympiads as well. [40] [41] The Armenian team made a breakthrough with the sensational victory at the 2006 Chess Olympiad. [42] They also won the 2008 [43] and 2012 Chess Olympiads. [44] Their record at the World Team Championships has been similarly outstanding, finishing third in 1997, [45] 2001, [46] and 2005, [47] and winning in 2011. [48] At the European championships the team performed somewhat more poorly, placing third in 1997, [49] first in 1999, and second in 2007. [50]
In 2011, the Ministry of Education of Armenia made chess part of the primary school curriculum along with such standards as math and history for children over the age of 6. [51] [52] Chess is compulsory for second, third and fourth graders. [14] Over $1.5 million was spent on the program. The inclusion of chess in schools was generally received positively by the public, but some parents claimed that their children's school program was already complicated and overloaded. [53] Grandmaster Smbat Lputian argued that "bringing chess into schools is the best way to build the future." [54] Grandmaster Rafael Vaganian criticized the program as "farce." [55]
The decision was widely reported in the international media. Journalists, chess experts and officials in various countries praised the program and advised its adoption in their respective countries. [56] [57] During his visit to Armenia in 2014 Magnus Carlsen stated: "I think Armenia's experience of teaching chess in schools is a great example for the whole world." [58] As of 2020, chess is taught in grades 2 to 4 with two classes a week. [59]
Year | Number |
---|---|
2005 [60] | 1,846 |
2010 [61] | 2,893 |
2021 [62] | 4,969 |
On December 12, 2019 the United Nations (UN) designated 20 July as World Chess Day as proposed by the Armenian delegation. It marks the date in 1924 when the International Chess Federation was established. [63]
As of 2021, Armenia's statistics agency recorded 4,969 chess players (including 1,318 females), up from 1,846 (375 females) in 2005 and 184 coaches (including 36 females) up from 87 (17 females) in 2005. [60] [62]
In August 2022, when he met with the men's team that won a silver medal at the 44th Chess Olympiad, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia should aim to win the World Chess Championship by 2050. His government has listed it as a strategic goal for Armenia. [64]
A number of ethnic Armenian chess players have achieved success outside of Armenia. Most notably, in 1985, Garry Kasparov, born in Baku, Soviet Azerbaijan to an Armenian mother and Russian Jewish father, [65] became World Champion. Although he never represented Armenia and is only half-Armenian, some sources preferred to call him Armenian, [66] partly because his last name is the Russified form of his mother's Armenian last name Kasparyan. [66]
Other notable Armenian diaspora chess players include [67] Sergei Movsesian (Czech Republic, Slovakia), Yury Dokhoian [68] and David Paravyan (Russia), Levon Ashotovich Grigorian (Uzbekistan), Tatev Abrahamyan, Samuel Sevian, Varuzhan Akobian, Melikset Khachiyan and Levon Aronian (United States), Dina Kagramanov and Natalia Khoudgarian (Canada), José Bademian Orchanian (Uruguay), Krikor Mekhitarian (Brazil), Knarik Mouradian (Lebanon).
The national governing body for chess, the Armenian Chess Federation, was founded in 1927. [28] Serzh Sargsyan, then Defense Minister, was elected its president in 2004 and was reelected in 2011. [69] Sargsyan "is known for enthusiastically supporting Armenian chess players." [56] On one occasion, Sargsyan stated that "We don't want people to know Armenia just for the earthquake and the genocide. We would rather it was famous for its chess." [30] The Armenian government provides grandmasters with salaries and perks. [6] [14]
The Chess Academy of Armenia (Հայաստանի շախմատի ակադեմիա) is a leading education institutions of chess in Armenia. It was founded in 2002 by the initiative of Grandmaster Smbat Lputian and supported by then-Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan. The academy has also organized international and national chess tournaments. [70]
The first Armenian championship occurred in 1934 when it was part of the Transcaucasian SFSR. Championships were held sporadically in the Armenian SSR until 1945, when they became an annual event; this practice has been continued in independent Armenia. Genrikh Kasparyan has won it the most times (10 times), followed by Ashot Anastasian (8 times), Levon Grigorian (6 times) and Artashes Minasian (6 times). [71]
The first woman's championship also took place in 1934, but was not held again till 1939. Some of the most notable women champions include Elina Danielian (6 times), Lilit Mkrtchian (4 times) and Siranush Andriasian (3 times). [29]
In 1972, the magazine Chess in Armenia (Շախմատային Հայաստան Shakhmatayin Hayastan) was founded by Gaguik Oganessian. It was published monthly until 1997, when it became a weekly magazine. [72] In 1972, the TV show Chess-64 (originally named Chess School) started to be aired by the Public Television of Armenia. Hosted by Gaguik Oganessian, it is the "longest lived program series" in the channel's history. [73] Another more recently created show, Chess World, is aired after the First News. [74]
FIDE, the World Chess Federation, lists 24 active Armenian grandmasters, 4 woman grandmasters, 17 international masters and 4 woman international masters. [75]
The Top 10 Armenian grandmasters as of November 2023 are listed below. [76]
# | Player | Birth year | GM Title | Rating | World rank [lower-alpha 1] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Haik M. Martirosyan | 2000 | 2017 | 2708 | 34 |
2 | Gabriel Sargissian | 1983 | 2002 | 2686 | 48 |
3 | Hrant Melkumyan | 1989 | 2008 | 2650 | 94 |
4 | Karen H. Grigoryan | 1995 | 2013 | 2646 | 97 |
5 | Shant Sargsyan | 2002 | 2019 | 2625 | 133 |
6 | Samvel Ter-Sahakyan | 1993 | 2009 | 2618 | 150 |
7 | Aram Hakobyan | 2001 | 2018 | 2616 | 153 |
8 | Robert Hovhannisyan | 1991 | 2010 | 2611 | 169 |
9 | Sergei Movsesian | 1978 | 1997 | 2605 | 188 |
10 | Manuel Petrosyan | 1998 | 2017 | 2604 | 189 |
The Top 10 women Armenian chess players are listed below as of November 2023. [77]
# | Player | Birth year | Title | Rating | World rank [lower-alpha 2] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Elina Danielian | 1978 | GM | 2413 | 43 |
2 | Lilit Mkrtchian | 1982 | IM | 2387 | 64 |
3 | Anna M. Sargsyan | 2001 | IM | 2364 | 83 |
4 | Mariam Mkrtchyan | 2004 | WIM | 2347 | 100 |
5 | Maria Gevorgyan | 1994 | WGM | 2260 | - |
6 | Siranush Andriasian | 1986 | WIM | 2192 | - |
7 | Susanna Gaboyan | 2001 | WIM | 2171 | - |
8 | Armine Babayan | 1990 | - | 2155 | - |
9 | Astghik Hakobyan | 2005 | 2073 | - | |
10 | Sona Asatryan | 1999 | WIM | 2069 | - |
Year | Event | Location | Players | Position | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | 30th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Vaganian, Akopian, Lputian, Minasian, A. Petrosian, Anastasian | ![]() | [39] |
1994 | 31st Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Vaganian, Akopian, Lputian, Anastasian, Minasian, Yegiazarian | 13 | [78] |
1996 | 32nd Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Akopian, Vaganian, Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian, A. Petrosian | 5 | [79] |
1998 | 33rd Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Vaganian, Lputian, Akopian, Minasian, Asrian, Anastasian | 16 | [80] |
2000 | 34th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Vaganian, Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian, Asrian, Sargissian | 17 | [81] |
2002 | 35th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Akopian, Lputian, Asrian, Sargissian, Minasian, Anastasian | ![]() | [40] |
2004 | 36th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Akopian, Aronian, Vaganian, Lputian, Sargissian, Minasian | ![]() | [41] |
2006 | 37th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Aronian, Akopian, Asrian, Lputian, Sargissian, Minasian | ![]() | [42] |
2008 | 38th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Aronian, Akopian, Sargissian, T. Petrosian, Minasian | ![]() | [43] |
2010 | 39th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Aronian, Akopian, Sargissian, Pashikian, Grigoryan | 7 | [82] |
2012 | 40th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Aronian, Movsesian, Akopian, Sargissian, T. Petrosian | ![]() | [44] |
2014 | 41st Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Aronian, Sargissian, Movsesian, Akopian, Kotanjian | 8 | [83] |
2016 | 42nd Chess Olympiad | ![]() | did not participate | — | — |
2018 | 43rd Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Aronian, Sargissian, Melkumyan, Hovhannisyan, Martirosyan | 8 | [84] |
2022 | 44th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Sargissian, Melkumyan, Ter-Sahakyan, Petrosyan, R. Hovhannisyan | ![]() | [85] |
Year | Event | Location | Players | Position | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | 30th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Aslanian, Khalafian, Danielian, Karakashian | 33 | [86] |
1994 | 31st Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Aslanian, Grigorian, Airapetian | 24 | [87] |
1996 | 32nd Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Hlgatian, Mkrtchian, Khalafian | 20 | [88] |
1998 | 33rd Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Hlgatian, Mkrtchian, Aginian | 21 | [89] |
2000 | 34th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Hlgatian, Aginian | 10 | [90] |
2002 | 35th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Hlgatian, Galojan | 15 | [91] |
2004 | 36th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Aginian, Andriasian | 11 | [41] |
2006 | 37th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Mkrtchian, Danielian, Aginian, Andriasian | 8 | [92] |
2008 | 38th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Aginian, Galojan, Andriasian | 6 | [93] |
2010 | 39th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Aginian, Kharatian | 11 | [94] |
2012 | 40th Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Kursova, Hairapetian | 6 | [95] |
2014 | 41st Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Kursova, Sargsyan | 5 | [96] |
2016 | 42nd Chess Olympiad | ![]() | did not participate | ||
2018 | 43rd Chess Olympiad | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Sargsyan, Kursova, Ghukasyan | 6 | [97] |
Year | Location | Players | Position | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
1993 | ![]() | Vaganian, Akopian, Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian, Petrosian | 4 | [98] |
1997 | ![]() | Akopian, Vaganian, Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian, Khachiyan | ![]() | [45] |
2001 | ![]() | Akopian, Vaganian, Lputian, Asrian, Anastasian, Minasian | ![]() | [46] |
2005 | ![]() | Aronian, Akopian, Asrian, Vaganian, Lputian, Anastasian | ![]() | [47] |
2010 | ![]() | Aronian, Akopian, Sargissian, Pashikian, Petrosian, Kotanjian | 5 | [99] |
2011 | ![]() | Aronian, Movsesian, Akopian, Sargissian, Hovhannisyan | ![]() | [48] |
2013 | ![]() | Aronian, Movsesian, Akopian, Sargissian, Petrosian | 5 | [100] |
2015 | ![]() | Aronian, Sargissian, Movsesian, Akopian, Melkumyan | ![]() | [101] |
2017 | ![]() | did not participate | ||
2019 | ![]() | did not participate | ||
Year | Location | Players | Position | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Aginian, Andriasian, Aghabekian | 8 | [102] |
2009 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Aginian, Andriasian | 5 | [103] |
2011 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Kursova, Aginian | 6 | [104] |
2013 | ![]() | did not participate [105] | ||
2015 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Kursova, Gaboyan | 7 | |
2017 | ![]() | did not participate | ||
2019 | ![]() | 8 | [106] | |
Year | Location | Players | Position | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | ![]() | Vaganian, Akopian, Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian | 19 | [107] |
1997 | ![]() | Akopian, Vaganian, Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian | ![]() | [49] |
1999 | ![]() | Lputian, Minasian, Anastasian, Petrosian | ![]() | [108] |
2001 | ![]() | did not participate [109] | ||
2003 | ![]() | did not participate [110] | ||
2005 | ![]() | Akopian, Aronian, Vaganian, Lputian, Anastasian | 12 | [111] |
2007 | ![]() | Aronian, Akopian, Sargissian, Asrian, Lputian | ![]() | [50] |
2009 | ![]() | Aronian, Akopian, Sargissian, Pashikian, Petrosian | 4 | [112] |
2011 | ![]() | Aronian, Movsesian, Akopian, Sargissian, Hovhannisyan | 4 | [113] |
2013 | ![]() | Aronian, Movsesian, Akopian, Sargissian, Petrosian | 4 | [114] |
2015 | ![]() | Aronian, Sargissian, Movsesian, Melkumyan, Grigoryan | ![]() | [50] |
2017 | ![]() |
Year | Location | Players | Position | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | ![]() | Aslanian, Hlgatian, Grigorian | 19 | [115] |
1997 | ![]() | Danielian, Hlgatian, Mkrtchian | 5 | [116] |
1999 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Hlgatian | 5 | [117] |
2001 | ![]() | did not participate [118] | ||
2003 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Aginian | ![]() | [119] |
2005 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Aginian, Andriasian, Galojan | 6 | [120] |
2007 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Aginian, Andriasian, Aghabekian | ![]() | [121] |
2009 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Aginian, Andriasian | 5 | [122] |
2011 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Kursova, Aginian | 7 | [123] |
2013 | ![]() | Danielian, Mkrtchian, Galojan, Kursova, Hairapetian | 5 | [124] |
In 1995, the Yerevan city club won the European Chess Club Cup men's tournament. [125] In 2006, the Yerevan MIKA club won the European Club Cup women's tournament. [126]
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian chess grandmaster and the ninth World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his almost-impenetrable defensive playing style, which emphasized safety above all else. Petrosian is often credited with popularizing chess in Armenia.
Vladimir Akopian is an Armenian-American chess Grandmaster.
Aivars Gipslis was a Latvian chess player, writer, editor and coach, who held the FIDE title of Grandmaster and the ICCF title of Correspondence Chess Grandmaster.
Karen Asrian was an Armenian chess player. Awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1998, he was a three-time Armenian champion. Asrian was a member of the gold medal-winning Armenian team in the 37th Chess Olympiad.
Gabriel Eduardi Sargissian is an Armenian chess grandmaster. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Armenian team at the Chess Olympiads in 2006, 2008 and 2012 and at the World Team Chess Championship in 2011. Sargissian was awarded the Movses Khorenatsi medal in June 2006 and awarded the Honoured Master of Sport of the Republic of Armenia title in 2009.
A wide array of sports are played in Armenia. Popular sports in Armenia include football, basketball, volleyball, and ice hockey. Further, the country sends athletes to the Olympics in boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, judo, gymnastics, track and field, diving, swimming, and shooting. Armenia's mountainous terrain provides great opportunities for the practice of sports like skiing and rock climbing. Being a landlocked country, water sports can only be practiced on lakes, notably Lake Sevan. Competitively, Armenia has been very successful at chess, weightlifting, and wrestling at the international level. Armenia is also an active member of the international sports community, with full membership in the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), Federation of International Bandy (FIB), International School Sport Federation, International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), among others. It also hosts the Pan-Armenian Games.
Ashot Nadanian is an Armenian chess International Master (1997), chess theoretician and chess coach.
Tigran Levoni Petrosian is an Armenian chess player who holds the title of grandmaster, which FIDE awarded him in 2004. A two-time national champion, he competed in two Chess Olympiads, winning team gold in 2008 and 2012.
Ashot Anastasian was an Armenian chess Grandmaster. He won two team bronze medals and one individual gold medal at Chess Olympiads. On the March 2011 FIDE list, he had an Elo rating of 2556, making him ranked number 14 in Armenia.
Melikset Khachiyan is an Armenian-American Grandmaster of chess who now resides in Los Angeles.
Georg Meier is a German-Uruguayan chess grandmaster who represents Uruguay.
Arsen Yegiazarian was an Armenian chess player who received the FIDE titles of Grandmaster (GM) in 2000 and FIDE Senior Trainer (FST) in 2011.
Elina Danielian is an Armenian chess grandmaster and six-time Armenian women's champion. She has represented Armenia twelve times during the Women's Chess Olympiads (1992–2014). She played in the gold medal-winning Armenian team at the 5th Women's European Team Chess Championship in Plovdiv 2003. In 2021 she won the European Individual Chess Championship.
Nelly Aginian is an Armenian chess Woman Grandmaster (WGM).
Anda Šafranska is a Latvian-born chess player who holds the title of Woman Grandmaster. Anda Šafranska for many years was one of the best women's chess players in Latvia. She won the Latvian Chess Championship for women eight times: 1982, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, and 1997.
The Chess Federation of Armenia, also known as the Armenian Chess Federation, is the governing chess organization in Armenia and is affiliated to FIDE. The body was founded in 1927. Responsible for organizing individual and club championships for men and women and the various important international tournaments in Armenia, it also forms the Armenian national men's and women's teams. The Federation is a member of the European Chess Union.
Chess is one of the most popular sports in Azerbaijan, where it is governed by the Azerbaijan Chess Federation (ACF). On May 5, 2009 Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev, who is also the chairman of the National Olympic Committee, signed an executive order initiating a state-supported chess development program, covering the years 2009–2014.
Alexei Mikhailovich Bezgodov is a Russian chess grandmaster and writer.
Elena Sedina is a Ukrainian-Italian chess player who holds the FIDE titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She has won the Ukrainian Women's Chess Championship, the Australian Open Chess Championship, and is a Chess Olympiad and Mitropa Cup gold medalist.
Maria Kursova is a Russian-Armenian chess player. She was awarded the title of Woman Grandmaster by FIDE in 2007. Kursova was the world girls champion and European girls champion in her age category.
Notes
Citations
In Armenia chess became something like soccer in Latin America and it's even an obvious subject at schools.
Armenia is an obsessive chess-playing country, one of the strongest in the world despite a population that is the same as – yes, you guessed it – Wales.
The Armenian chess players through their splendid performance, talent and will power proved once again that our country is a chess superpower.
Chess has been one of Armenia's most popular sports since Tigran Petrosian, a Tbilisi-born Armenian, became a world champion in 1963. The country currently boasts one of the largest per capita numbers of chess grandmasters in the world.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Chess is a descendant of a game called Chaturanga believed to have originated in India in the sixth century and which may have been related to a much older Chinese game.
Kasparov was dubbed Armenian because his mother is Armenian.